


Nesting

by isabeau25



Series: Wander Home [6]
Category: Epic (2013)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-31
Updated: 2014-03-31
Packaged: 2018-01-17 16:32:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1394557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isabeau25/pseuds/isabeau25
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ronin's little house guest has definite ideas about sleeping arrangements, and Queen Tara is a tease. <b> This story is included in <i>Babe in the Woods</i></b></p>
            </blockquote>





	Nesting

It was late, and Ronin had given up on being able to talk to Tara before the next day. That meant he had to do something with the boy for the night. The child was starting to show signs of being tired at least, so hopeful he would go to sleep without much fuss.

“What do you think kiddo, bed time?” Ronin asked.

The boy jumped at the sound of his voice, as if he had forgotten he was there, then stared at him curiously.

“How about you take the bed tonight?” Ronin stood and offered the child his hand, “it will probably be a nice change for you.”

The boy hopped to his feet and let Ronin lead him down the hall to the bedroom. The child immediately let go and started exploring every nook and cranny. Ronin caught him before he could wiggle under the bed.

“On top, not under,” Ronin scooped him up and dropped him on the bed, grinning as he bounced and giggled.

The boy immediately began tugging at blankets and poking at pillows. He bounced a few more times, then looked around the room and frowned. He started pulling all the blankets into a bundle in the center of the bed along with the pillows.

Ronin let him do what he wanted, although he had to reach out and stop him from hitting his head on the headboard when he lost his balance trying to pull free a blanket. It took Ronin a few minutes of watching him to realize he was making a nest. Ronin was beginning to suspect the child had spent a substantial amount of time with birds.

Once the nest was completed, the child plopped down in the middle of it and looked around again. His nose wrinkled, and he crawled out, slid off the bed, grabbed an armful of blankets, and marched past Ronin towards the living room.

Ronin raised his eyebrows and stepped back, letting the boy walk by him before following. The child looked around the living room, then dragged his blankets back behind the couch, wiggling his way into the narrow space.

“I think you might be more comfortable in the bed,” Ronin offered.

The child ignored him and continued to rearrange blankets. Ronin shook his head, both amused and slightly impressed. Behind the couch was a more secure location. The child would be able to see the door, and crawl under the couch where it was harder to grab him if something frightened him.

Ronin went over and pulled the couch out to give the child more room, angling it so his nest of blankets was shielded from the door. The boy jumped and looked up at him, then looked around again, and deciding it was satisfactory, went to get more blankets.

He was still making trips to bring blankets and pillows to his nest when there was a knock at the door. He dove for cover behind the couch while Ronin went to answer it.

Tara was standing there when he opened it, without any of her guards he noted with some annoyance, although that would be a conversation for another day.

“You found him?” she asked anxiously, “he is a him, right?”

“Yes,” Ronin stepped back as Tara came in, “I’m not sure it’s appropriate for you to be here.”

“I’m the queen,” Tara waved her hand dismissively, “of course it’s appropriate.”

“It doesn’t work that way,” Ronin closed the door anyway, “he’s hiding behind the couch. He’s pretty skittish.”

“We’ll just have to wait then,” Tara folded her hands in front of her, “how is he?”

“Tiny,” Ronin resolved himself to Tara staying and sat on the floor again, hoping to draw the boy out, “and scared.”

“Have you gotten him to the healers yet?” Tara sat herself on the floor across from him, dress swirling out around her.

“No,” Ronin shook his head, “he panicked in the rookery, and there was hardly anyone there. The healers’ ward would have been worse. I gave him a bath though. He didn’t look like he had any serious injuries, although he could stand to gain some weight.”

“You gave a child a bath?” Tara barely suppressed her laughter, “how did it go?”

“It was wet,” Ronin said drolly, just managing to stop himself from turning at the sound of shuffling from the direction of the couch.

“Well, you managed it without drowning either of you, so well done,” Tara laughed.

“You have very low standards,” Ronin shook his head.

The child had brought a blanket out with him to hide under and wiggled his way under the coffee table. He reached out from under the blanket and poked at a ruffle of Tara’s skirt. Tara’s eyes slide to the side, but she followed Ronin’s example and pretended not to notice him.

“Do you know anything about him yet?” Tara asked.

“Not much,” Ronin couldn’t help grinning when the child poked his head out from under the blanket and sniffed at Tara’s skirt, “he doesn’t talk. I’m not even sure he can. He does a good impression of a bird though.”

Either the boy liked how the material smelt or liked the feel of it, because he gathered it in both hands and rubbed his cheek against it.

“Hello there,” Tara cooed softly, unable to resist the child any longer.

The boy started and looked up at her, skirt still clutched in his hands. It took him less than a second to drop the skirt and scramble for Ronin. Ronin caught him before he could duck behind him, scooping him up to hold in his lap.

“Sorry kiddo,” Ronin let him squirm until he could hide his face against his shoulder, “you need to meet the queen.”

“Aren’t you a handsome boy,” Tara leaned forward, voice gentle.

The boy peered at her, hands fisted in Ronin’s shirt as if he was afraid she would snatch him away.

“I’m Tara,” Tara held her hand out to the child.

“Queen Tara,” Ronin corrected mildly, rubbing the boy’s back.

The child looked between Tara’s hand and Ronin uncertainly.

“Go on,” Ronin reached out and took Tara’s hand, “she’s not going to hurt you.”

The boy was unimpressed and hid his face against Ronin’s shoulder again.

“He is awfully attached to you already,” Tara smiled.

“Well, I did feed him,” Ronin shifted his grip on Tara’s hand so he was holding it palm up.

“And protected him from the evil Leafmen in the rookery, and bathed him, and clothed him, and gave him someplace warm to sleep,” Tara shook her head, clearly amused, “I always knew you’d be good with children.”

“Tara,” Ronin protested, ducking his head against the boy’s hair to hide his faint blush.

The child tipped his head back, giving Ronin a quizzical look. When Ronin didn’t lift his head, he gave up and turned his attention back to Tara. Tara wiggled her fingers invitingly at the child, and he finally gave in, putting his hand tentatively in hers.

“It’s very nice to meet you,” Tara curled her fingers around his tiny hand, squeezing gently.

The boy squeezed back, then pulled his hand away and tucked himself against Ronin.

“I think he’s tired,” Tara smiled softly.

“He’s had a rough day,” Ronin said, unconsciously cuddling the child closer.

“You should probably keep him for tonight,” Tara reached out and tucked a tangled strand of hair behind the child’s ear, and the boy swatted sleepily at her, making her laugh, “he seems to be settled with you.”

“That’s fine,” Ronin said, “I’ll take him to the healers tomorrow, then bring him to you.”

“Just come see me,” Tara shook her head, “I’ll have Glory meet us, and we’ll decide what to do from there.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow then,” Ronin agreed.

“Goodnight sweetheart,” Tara leaned forward, stroking back the child’s hair, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

The boy wrinkled his nose, but didn’t push her away this time.

“Goodnight Ronin,” Tara stood, “I’ll let myself out. You put your little bird to bed.”

The boy reached out, letting the material of Tara’s skirt slide through his fingers as she turned to go.

“Goodnight your majesty,” Ronin said, watching the boy in amusement.

The child stayed in Ronin’s lap for a few minutes, watching the door as if he expected Tara to come back. When she didn’t, he crawled off Ronin’s lap and back to his nest behind the couch.

“Are you sure you don’t want to sleep in the bed?” Ronin leaned over the back of the couch, looking down at him.

The boy ignored him, tugging and rearranging blankets and pillows until he was satisfied, then curling in the center of his nest and sticking his thumb in his mouth. He seemed to fall asleep as soon as he stopped wiggling.

Ronin shook his head and tucked the blankets more securely around him. He considered sleeping in his own bed, but in the end, he fell asleep on the couch to the soft sound of the child’s snoring.


End file.
